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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

OFFICE OF PLANNING WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU ON PROPOSED ZONING CHANGES

Greetings from the DC Office of Planning.

OP would
like to invite you and your membership to attend one of a series of community
meetings being held in December 2012 and January 2013 to discuss draft proposed
changes to the existing Zoning Ordinance (11 DCMR). A meeting will be
held in each ward of the city, with the dates noted below. The Office of
Planning has been working on revisions and reorganization of the zoning
regulations for the last four years, and we have already made many significant
modifications to previous drafts based on comments received at the over 200
meetings and hearings held so far, but we are looking for your input.

Why update the zoning code?

Zoning is a way for a city to guide and regulate the use of
land, and create predictable patterns of development. It is implemented
through our zoning code, a document which provides rules and regulations about
where different uses can be located and the placing, shape, and height of
buildings.

DC’s zoning code was adopted way back in 1958, and is one of
the oldest in the country. The updates will help to make the zoning
current with existing D.C. policy and the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan
—a document that provides guidance for future planning and development in the
city. In fact, the Comprehensive Plan specifically requires that the
zoning code be updated:

“The Zoning Regulations themselves need substantial
revision and reorganization, ranging from new definitions to updated
development and design standards, and even new zones.” (IM-1.3)

The regulations need to address the aspirations of 21stcentury
residents of the city, rather than a 1950’s vision based on automobile
dependence, separated uses / zones, cheap energy, and a suburban lifestyle for
all. The new code is intended to address a broader, more inclusive vision
for D.C. as a livable, walkable, balanced, more affordable, and sustainable
city with goals and objectives such as:

·Supporting more affordable housing choices and
the ability for people at all stages in life to find good housing options in
their neighborhood; and

·Making the code clearer and more user-friendly.

While a number of important changes to the zoning
regulations are being proposed to address these issues, about 90% of the
regulations will remain the same as they are today. However, OPisproposing
a reformatted zoning code – one that includes tables and diagrams and which
tries to consolidate regulations to make them easier to find and understand.

Whether you were born and raised here, or are a recent
addition to the city, you have a stake in how D.C. will change and grow.
Please plan to attend one of OP’s upcoming community meetings. We will
describe the process to date, present the draft proposals, and solicit and listen
to community feedback. We remain open to making additional changes to the
draft proposals, based on your comments, before they are taken to the Zoning
Commission for consideration at public hearings.

The community meetings are open to everyone. We will
present the same information in each of them, so you can attend the one that is
most convenient for you.

December:

December 8,
2012
Saturday, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00
noon

Ward 6

Second floor, 1100-4th Street SW

(above the Safeway, Waterfront Station on the Green Line)

December 11,
2012 Tuesday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30
P.M.

Ward 2

421 7th Street NW

(2 blocks south of Gallery Place Station on the Red, Green
and Yellow Lines)

December 13,
2012 Thursday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30
P.M.

Ward 8

Savoy Elementary School, 2400 Shannon Place SE

(Anacostia Station on the Green Line)

January:

January 5,
2013
Saturday, 10:00 P.M – 12:00
noon
Ward 1

January 8,
2013
Tuesday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30
P.M.
Ward 3

January 9,
2013
Wednesday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30
P.M. Ward 5

January 12,
2013
Saturday, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00
noon Ward 7

January 16,
2013
Wednesday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30
P.M. Ward 4

January meeting locations will be announced shortly.

In addition, for those not able to attend the meetings, two
Twitter Town Halls are scheduled, on Monday December 14 2012 and Friday January
14 2013, both starting at noon. Watch the Zoning Revisions Review website
-www.DCZoningUpdate.org, and blogsite -www.ZoningDC.org, for more information.

We hope to see you and your members at the community
meetings. Please feel free to pass this information on to others, or to
contact us if you have questions or comments.